Drawing On The Masters exhibition...

Last night was the exhibition opening of my darling sister, Fiona Bell's, first solo exhibition, "Drawing on the Masters" - at Attic Art Space, 249 Margaret Street, Toowoomba.

The exhibition is a collection of works on paper - the theme of which is portraits of artists that Fiona admires. The portraits are painstakingly detailed, with a minimal approach to the clothing and background, the emphasis being on the rendering of the face.

This is the lovely Fiona...

"As drawings they speak of the nature of drawing; no matter how realistic a drawing is, it is still not a photograph. There is a tension that exists between realism and expression. Realistic drawings have become a labour of love; they are time consuming but a kinaesthetic relationship - a personal connection develops between the photograph and the process of drawing." - Fiona Bell, Drawing on the Masters, Artist Statement

There was barely enough room to house the number of people that had come to view the exhibition! I was busy half the night serving the drinks at the bar, kindly taken over by my mother. It was a good place to be, as everyone comes to you for a drink when they first get to the exhibition, so I got to meet nearly everyone.

The feed back was really positive and there seems to be a few commissions in the works. Everybody seemed to enjoy the evening and the art work.

Congratulations Fiona!! We are all really proud of you and your amazing work!

If you are around Toowoomba, the Gallery is open Saturdays 12 noon - 2pm, and the exhibition continues until the 15th November 2008.

You can make one of these....

here...

On My Desk...

Unfortunately dedicated crafting space is in short supply at my house. I have my sewing machine set up on an antique writing bureau in the guest bedroom, the drawers of which are filled with fabric, scissors and threads, but there isn't much room beside my machine. As a result my craft tends to travel around the house, from the dining table, the coffee table and the kitchen bench. Last night it was the coffee tables turn.

I finally got to play with my $2 shop and op-shop purchases!

I began by putting this button and ribbon brooch together. I saw the idea in a library book and I keep adding to it until was happy. Cute?

I was also inspired by some beautiful blogs I saw yesterday I thought I'd make some more pin cushions. I made this felt, my first ever pin cushion a few weeks ago and have been using it ever since. Before that my pins were just in the little plastic box they came in!! Last night I made these two pincushions...

Yay once more for op-shop fabric!

The second one is made from two beautiful squares of fabric my sister gave me, which were left over from a quilt she made. So cute and so easy - I just stitched them together, stuffed it and rummaged around in the button collection mum gave me and found these cute buttons. There's a button in the middle of each side squishing it together.

So many buttons, so little time...

My crafting urge was not completely satisfied, so I played with some more fabric covered button bobby pins as well before bed... hmmm, more spots...

Check out who else is playing On My Desk here...

PS. Don't forget...

about the giveaway!

35 weeks pregnant and counting...

We had parenthood classes last night, so no time to craft or play with my new fabric and ribbon. Instead we were swaddling and dressing dolls. I am now about 35 weeks and last night I noticed for the first time that bubba had the hiccups! He is running out of room, but I can still feel his feet, elbows and hip as he wriggles and stretches.

We have been busy lately shopping for prams and car seats, getting the nursery organised, washing his clothes, having a baby shower and generally getting ready for the big day.

I thought the clothes line full of baby clothes was so cute! My neighbour thought I had lost the plot! I was excited - she reminded me that I will get over that after a couple of weeks of washing!!

The nursery so far...

Darling mother and I made the curtains from some fabric we found at Spotlight, the chest of drawers was mine when I was a baby, I found the high chair at a baby fete for $20 and my sister brought me the hanging Ikea shelves. My little softies have found a home on the chest of drawers.

The change table is another Ikea purchase, the cot was a $33 bargain from e-bay, the rocking chair was given to us by one of my beautiful friends, the knitted blanket on it was my first attempt at knitting something other than a scarf, I painted the branches and birds on the walls - I was trying to find a cool stencil but ended up free handing it instead.

The picture on the wall is a Van Gogh print that we brought from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Van Gogh painted it for his brother Theo's first born son and it hung above his cot. Hubby and I both loved it and posted it back to Australia, then it sat in a cupboard until I fell pregnant and we had it framed. I love it!

A big thank you again to all my lovely family and friends who made the baby shower such a great day and were so generous. Not to mention my sister and my mother, who went all out organising the food and drinks on the day. Anyone for dessert...

These are the little thank you gifts I gave everyone. I found the cute little boxes on Pink Frosting's website and filled them with tissue paper and chocolates...

Is it possible to fall in love...

...with a cushion? I found this on 'silkscreen & scribble'. I just love it! :) This silkscreen looks really cool too...

... or with wrapping paper?

My other favourite thing at the moment is this wrapping paper by Catherine Campbell that came with the Frankie magazine I brought yesterday. How cute is it? How could I use it as wrapping paper? Think I might cover a journal with it or something, so I can keep it!

Yay! New Etsy Store...

I am now a verified Etsy store owner!! Very exciting!! Will keep working it all out and add some more items soon!

Giveaway - Hair clips looking for new home...

I made the first of these hair clips for my beautiful sister and she loves them! I thought I would do a giveaway if any one would like them. If you would like to win a pair of these handmade ribbon and button hair clips or a pair of these spotty fabric bobby pins leave a comment by Tuesday 3rd November with which pair you'd like to win and where you would wear them to. To the shops, around the house, on holidays, a special occasion....?

Winners announced Wednesday 4th November!

Craft show...

On the weekend I went to the very busy craft, bead and quilt show at the Brisbane Convention Centre. I paid my $16 entry fee and walked into the fray... I really wasn't expecting there to be so many people there! It was crazy. So many stalls. So many different types of craft. So many women! It was difficult to get to see much as my time was limited - hubby having dropped me off and then headed off to wait at the men's creche (aka a pub) - and you needed to line up to get a look at some of the stalls. I zigzagged my way around the hall and during my travels I found two stalls selling fat quarters for $3 and $3.50 each - yay - so I brought the seven pieces below. I also found a stall that was a celebration of all things ribbon and braid that had its very own ribbon printer! Oh, the possibilities! Where does one get one of these? I decided I needed some ribbon printed and the lovely lady set up the text on her laptop and started printing the ribbon below for $2.95/m. Suddenly a crowd gathered to watch and ask questions and I was elbowed out of the way! When it came time for me to pay the stall holder couldn't find me amidst the crush of intrigued women! Sadly, they had no business cards left, what to do when I want more ribbon??!!

I found these tiny buttons at a doll making stand and couldn't resist. How cute are they?

After the fair hubby and I went up to Mount Tamborine to check out the craft stores on the gallery trail and to have ice cream. I love the scenery and the houses in the hills. I could live on the mountain no problem at all. Meanwhile these seven softies are waiting to be sewed up...

I love op-shopping...

Yesterday I went to my local $2/craft shop because I ran out of red thread. I also found these cute buttons for $2 and these rolls of braid for, yep, $2 each and three rolls of ribbon for $2.50. There are three op-shops in walking distance and I scored the blue ric-rac for 0.20c, blue bias 0.20c, vintage "no darn" thread 0.30, 2 x funky green napkins for $1.40, a 0.50c tea towel (top right - burnt orange and yellow trees - love it! Use it or cut it up?), $1 fabric remnant with green and blue cherries - how cute is this?, and dark blue strip pillow case for $2. I was very excited by my little haul! I also spotted this teapot/teacup and saucer set for $2. Perfect as a birthday present for my funky English friend! How cool is that? :) So yesterday and today I have been doing the chores and making softies. I have finished the second rabbit and three black cats!!

Stitching up the rabbit... Rabbit waiting for stuffing and arms!

Both Rabbits finished and with clothes ... and shoes!

The three black cats...

This is Mr. Mieowgee...

This is Miss Mieow...

And my favourite... Kit.

Was really excited to have these little guys finished. I want to look into selling them and their friends some where. Etsy? A craft shop? The markets? Any ideas?

Meet Miss Molly...

I am really having fun making these softies and designing clothes for them! This is the second piggy softie I have made and she is going to live with a friends sister, who has just had a baby girl. Hope she likes Miss Molly. Indy traffic on the Gold Coast is a nightmare, I'm already over it and it hasn't even officially started yet. I am really looking forward to a few days off, there is so much I want to do! For starters I have a whole lot more softies cut out waiting for me to sew them up and make them clothes... will post pictures of the progress. This is a monster I made, although he has no name as yet. I think I will make him some friends, possibly with arms!

On My Desk...

On my desk... are half of a pair of little shoes I have been making from an old magazine pattern for a friends baby, but I have run out of bias binding to finish the other half of the pair!

I have also been making recycled fabric bags out of old pillow cases I found at the op-shops, I love the yellow and orange in the fabric! My beautiful mother gave me a huge box vintage buttons and a box of ribbon and ric-rac that belonged to my Grandmother, so I have been carefully sorting and wrapping all the cool vintage ribbons on to cardboard. As a result of having many buttons and lots of ribbon I have taught myself how to make ribbon flowers and have been stitching these on to the bags with the "A little bird told me..." tags that I have also just made using iron on T-shirt transfer paper. If you want to make your own ribbon flowers I have found a great ribbon flower tutorial here - I do it a little differently, but it will only take you a couple of goes to work out how you want to do it.

Now to pick another type of ribbon....

And make something with them...